Windows 7: Can Windows 7 downgrade to XP NOW? Any Licensing isues?

1. Can Windows 7 be allowed to downgrade to XP NOW?

2. If yes, is there any licensing isues?

3. Which license is being used? Windows 7?

4. Is the license still valid?

5. For how long this XP(downgrade from windows 7) can be used?

Understanding Downgrade Rights

I hate to respond with just a link but I think that covers it from the horse's mouth so to speak.

reply to maguscreed,

Hi, thanks for the link, I'll read through it and back here.

Okay, I have read the info that provides by Maguscreed.

Questions here:

We need to obtain a genuine XP installation media.

which means, we have 2 license key here, isn't it?

First key is the Windows 7 Professional or Ultimate's product key.
Seceond key is the Windows 7 Professional or Ultimate's product key.

Using the XP installation media to install XP, which will Format 1 of the drive to install XP.

This is just like no different with wiping Windows 7 and install XP.

an ordinary drive format and clean install?

I have no personal experience with it but that is more than likely the case. I don't think anything in 7 can survive the downgrade anyhow. Though visually the difference isn't that large. They are completely different operating systems on many levels.

Yup agree with that.

on the other hand.
the info stated that only Windows 7 Professional and Ultimate can be downgraded.
(Well, an "ordinary drive format and clean XP install" can be applied to Windows 7 Home too).

Questions:
1. We can use a genuine XP with Windows 7 Professional or Ultimate OEM License sticker on the PC.(no xp sticker) Is this right?

2. The PC is originally pre-installed OEM Windows 7 Home Basic. But I can use genuine XP with the genuine XP stick on the PC. Is this right?

If we installed a genuine XP Pro OEM on a preinstalled Windows 7 Pro PC, we still can activate the windows through telephone without telling the operator that we actually owned a Windows 7 Pro OEM key, right?

I have just contact a Microsoft Agent through phone.

I have get the answers and explanation.

Below are some of the conclusion:

1. Only Win 7 Pro & Ultimate can downgrade to Vista(Business/Ultiamte) or XP(Professional 32/64 bit /Tablet PC).
2. Format the drive, do clean install of XP. Use any legal XP Product key(used or unused or being used) during installation.
3. During activation of XP, call the Local Microsoft Activation Centre(phone call), provide the information of owned Win 7 pro/ultimate licence information, the agent will help us to activate the XP.
4. Sticker of XP OEM Product Key(COA/label) is not needed.
5. A PC with a sticker/label/COA of Win7pro/ultimate OEM License can run a XP.

Good to know the details of the situation, glad you got all the info you wanted.

Sounds like you can just grab xp off usenet or p2p if you don't need the oem key label. or anything from the xp disc outside of the data. Once you're legitimately activated I'm curious if you can go back to using 7 if you decide too though.

The issues that come to mind doing this, if the new Windows 7 "System Reserved" is present and marked as the "System Active" partition for the install of XP ...


1) Not sure the "new" XP will get the C: drive letter as the first partition on the Hard Disk Drive usually gets the C: during an XP install, though I understand this is technically an "upgrade" and that may change the circumstances.

2) Every time I have installed XP with another partition as the "System Active" partition, XP would not boot after the install was complete and would require the boot files to be rebuilt.

The only way I've found around that is to leave XP as the "System Active" partition until after the installation completes.


The one that really concerns me is #2 if the SysResv is present.